


Necessary Loves

by idrilhadhafang



Series: The Broken Edge [6]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Bad Parenting, Child Abandonment, Evil Snoke, F/M, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Related, Snoke Ships It, Snoke being Snoke, Ten Facts, bad mothering, generational maternal abandonment, hopefully not a mary sue, shoutouts to the Legendsverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 04:06:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9367211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Ten facts about Alora Danes.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Partnership
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author's Notes: Rey's real name is a bit of a shout out to the old EU. I thought it would be appropriate, all things considered.

1\. The first time she meets Luke Skywalker, she's come back into what's now Republic space after being out in the Unknown Regions too long.

It's strange coming back, seeing everyone back after the war. She's been away but she's heard the rumors of the Empire and their cruelty. Just as well that she and her father bailed out when they did.

She just can't believe it's been so long. Even being back in Republic space is strange, being among other people of the Republic.

When she meets him, she doesn't know what to expect from a new leader of the Jedi Order. She doesn't know what to think of him. Except for the fact that he's friendlier and humbler than she expects, actually. Charming. Friendly. There's something about his friendliness that makes her feel shy, and not unpleasantly so either.

They like to say the phrase "mynocks in your stomach" in regards to things like this, but Alora has never really seen the appeal of it. She doesn't see what's pleasant about a bunch of unpleasant winged creatures who chew on power cables in one's stomach. But she can say she feels shy, not something you often feel out there in the Unknown Regions when she has to be on her guard -- not something she's felt before in her life.

She finds she doesn't mind it at all.

  
2\. Over time, as she gets to know Luke better, the shyness fades away to a sort of...comfortable feeling, just being around him. There's something about the way he talks, the way he laughs, the way he smiles, that's enough to make Alora feel strangely warm, something she can't say that she's felt very often. She can remember a lot of worry out there in the Unknown Regions hiding from the Empire, but never really a sense of feeling comfortable. Not really, not truly. She finds that she likes his company a great deal. More than that, he's kind, caring, funny, and the fact he's handsome doesn't really hurt either -

_Okay, easy, Alora. You can't just up and fall for him. He's the Grand Master of the Order. You're in training. It's not right_ \--

So she keeps it quiet. Plays it off as a joke talking with other people about it. But she finds that she wonders what it would be like, longs for what it would be like, more than she can count.

  
3\. It's one day that Luke asks if she wants to go out to dinner with him and watch the sunset that she accepts, feeling her heart skip a beat even as she does so. She never thought that he would ask, actually.

It's overlooking the sunset that Alora finally speaks. "Luke, it's beautiful. How did you get such a view?"

"It took some scouting around, but I found it." Silence falls for a moment. Alora can tell that Luke has something to tell her, but he's still working up the courage to say it.

"What is it, Luke?"

"Alora...I was wondering how to say this. The truth of the matter is, when I was looking up the matter of old Jedi traditions, they didn't have complimentary things to say about Hedi courtship. There were exceptions, but the textbooks seemed to greatly look down on them."

"Why did they?"

"They thought attachment led to greed. I can't say I agree with that. It's very...extremist, actually."

_Hell of a thing to talk about after dinner._ But Alora says, "Exactly. Luke...the truth of the matter is, I care about you. I mean, you're a good person, you're kind, you're funny, you're one of the strongest people I've ever met...I care for you." She can't quite say I love you. She's had a bad experience with those words. But she can say she cares, because that's the truth. "Do you are for me?"

Luke leans forward, his eyes practically luminous in the light of the sunset. His eyes are beautiful, Alora thinks. So very earnest.

"Yes," he says. "I do."

  
4\. From there on, they're...dating. An item, actually. A pair. And the Order doesn't seem to mind, although sometimes Alora swears that Yana, one of the newer recruits, is watching her with a sort of mix between curiosity and distaste.

She can't say why. Is he one of the older Jedi who disliked attachment? Does he just not like...either of them?

It's later on she gets her answer, when he asks her if he can speak to her for a while. Then, "The matter of you and Master Skywalker is quite curious."

_Cutting to the chase, aren't we?_ That's one thing that Alora will say about Yana; he does not mince words. Then, "Because of the attachment thing?"

"Basically. Traditionally, Jedi matings were frowned upon. I know in the old textbooks, Bastila Shan was lambasted heavily for marrying, and marrying a former Sith, at that."

Silence.

"Well, first, Master Skywalker's not a Sith."  _He would make a terrible Sith, and that's a compliment of the highest order._ "Second...well, the old Jedi Order wasn't perfect as far as I read."

"You are perceptive," says Yana, and Alora has to admit that she didn't expect that. "Although I daresay that is an understatement."

"How come?"

"There was quite a bit, actually, that the old Jedi Order did wrong..."

  
5\. Time passes. Ben Solo, Luke's nephew, starts to grow up, to the point that Alora already wonders what happened to the scared, nervous little boy who first showed up on the Academy doorstep. The matter of the Centrists and the Populists continues to dominate the holonews and Alora has to admire Leia for her strength.

And Alora finally proposes to Luke. 

It's at dinner again, after dinner, when she finally stands up and speaks. She's prepared this speech, rehearsed for it, and she's wishing she had downed more Corellian Ale before undertaking this task. A man who means the galaxy to her, and the possibility she could screw this up. "Luke," she says, "You mean the galaxy to me, you always have. You're one of the kindest, funniest, best men that I have ever had the good fortune to meet, and the fact I met you says that the Force is on my side more than you know. I was wondering...will you marry me?"

Silence. Then Luke embraces her tightly, and she can feel his tears against her neck. He's crying, but they're joyful tears.

" 'Lora," he says, "Of course. Of course I will."

  
6\. It takes a while to actually get ready for the wedding, but Alora finds it's worth it, seeing how beautiful it all is (even with some of the things like a mild rainstorm hitting outside). Wearing her mother's old dress that she found -- the note on it being the closest she's had to hearing her mother's voice since she was two years old -- thanks to her father. Her father, beaming at her, clearly proud of her.

They exchange vows, and Alora knows that it's not just a matter of wedding vows, but an exchange of devotion that will last for the rest of their lives.

  
7\. It's learning that she's pregnant that's a source of excitement for Alora as well as fear. She already doesn't want to end up like her mother -- what kind of mother would she be, at any rate? -- but at the same time, she is excited to have a child, _their_ child, _their_ baby, and she knows full well she will love both the baby and her wonderful husband with all she is.

8\. They name her Jaina, after her maternal aunt, and watching Jaina grow, learn new words, is exhilarating. Jaina also gets along well with Ben -- incident where Jaina pulled Ben's hair aside, it's clear Ben thinks the galaxy of his little cousin as much as Alora and Luke do. Alora watches her take her first steps, say her first words ("Mama" and "Dada"), learn to read and to dance (in a way), learn to construct sentences, and she knows she can't be prouder of her daughter.

9\. It's later on that Alora begins to feel it too. A living shadow, hanging over the both of them, usually when she's alone after having put Jaina to bed. It doesn't do anything, just watches, but Alora can feel that scorching, torturing heat as bad as some of the planets she and Dad had to flee to in the past. Even getting to sleep doesn't work because she can still feel that shadow watching her, quietly preying on her, all the while.

10\. Jaina's five when, under the alias Rey, they ultimately send her to Jakku. Alora doesn't want to; even the whole process breaks her heart. She can only hope that her friends on Jakku, Aaron and Zara, will take care of her. She doesn't trust Unkar Plutt at all, but hopefully he can at least put his unpleasantness aside for a moment and take care of her as well. She will be back. She promised Jaina that she would be back. One day.

One day, they'll be a family again. She can only hope Jaina will forgive her.

She can only hope Jaina will understand.

 

 


End file.
